Camper suggestions and recommendations

[catherine]

As y'all know, we don't have a lot of extra space here in our little house. Fine with me. I love the cozy little "Shanghai Shack" as DH calls it.

But the one disappointing thing is the lack of space for guests. We never anticipated how many people would want to visit us!

Good problem to have, and I always anticipated being able to put them up in a hotel rather than carry the cost of having to heat a larger home when not all of it is used. However, in the summer, places are hard to find because this is a tourist area, and in the winter, places close completely. So we are examining our options.

If I had a spare $100k or so I would raise the pitch of the roof and do a Cape Cod-ish thing with a dormer or two. That would give us two small rooms and another small bath.

But I am not entertaining that thought, unless I come into money somehow.

So now we're thinking used camper--a small one--maybe 17-21 ft. There are plenty around, but here's another issue: if we want to use it in the winter, we have been told it has to be designed for cold weather, so that pipes don't freeze. Makes sense, but it never occurred to me. There are only a handful of those campers out there, and they are more expensive. So we could use it as a sleeping space, but the person occupying it would not have access to plumbing. They'd have to come into the house to use the bathroom--but only in the winter.

In a broad sense, given my challenge, what would you do?

[lmerullo]

I live in Florida, so maybe not the best source. The motor home we had did have a winter tank warmer, though. If the camper is to be parked in a permanent site I would explore a skirting enclosure with perhaps some way to heat underneath the unit. Again, FL girl - but I'm envisioning some space heater on low. .

Having guest space separate from the main home is fabulous for both you and your guests, though. You can decide how much privacy to give each other. Win / win.

[ToomuchStuff]

Do you have a garage the camper would fit in?

[catherine]

Do you have a garage the camper would fit in?

No, we don't. It would be exposed to the elements--including the harsh north winds off the lake.

[bae]

Here in the PNW, campers exposed to the elements tend to leak and develop mold issues. Most people who use them for the purpose you describe seem to end up putting up a carport-like covered structure over them.

[catherine]

Here in the PNW, campers exposed to the elements tend to leak and develop mold issues. Most people who use them for the purpose you describe seem to end up putting up a carport-like covered structure over them.

And does that help? The only "carport" we have is a 100 ft. old maple. But we could perhaps come up with something with 3 walls.

[bae]

And does that help? The only "carport" we have is a 100 ft. old maple. But we could perhaps come up with something with 3 walls.

Most of the ones here are just a simple roof atop posts. Generally with a bit of a pitch to the roof. Usually no walls. My neighbor’s sometimes develops walls of stacked firewood on the windward side.

[bae]

I’ve even seen folks stretching the classic, elegant, blue tarp above their camper, suspended by nearby trees, but those don’t hold up in the winds here for long.

I guess the crucial part is to get some sort of “roof” over the trailer to keep the water off the trailer’s roof and prevent the inevitable leaky seams.

[catherine]

I’ve even seen folks stretching the classic, elegant, blue tarp above their camper, suspended by nearby trees, but those don’t hold up in the winds here for long.

The same would be true here. We tried the tarp thing over my son's teardrop, and the Four Winds laughed at us.

[catherine]

I guess the crucial part is to get some sort of “roof” over the trailer to keep the water off the trailer’s roof and prevent the inevitable leaky seams.

We could do something like that--suspend a roof, or extend a roof off of another outbuilding.